BBC to apologise for tainted shows on M'sia...

BBC will broadcast a worldwide apology today for having compromised its editorial integrity through programmes involved in the recent “news fixing scandal”, according to news reports.
 
The UK’s The Independent today reported that BBC World News will be broadcasting the apology “from Kuala Lumpur to Khartoum” in four time slots.

According to the daily, the apology begins, “A small number of programmes broadcast on BBC World News between February 2009 and July 2011 broke BBC rules aimed at protecting our editorial integrity.

“These rules ensure that programmes are free, and are seen to be free, from commercial or other outside pressures."

The scandal involves FBC Media (UK) that was exposed last year for having produced programmes on behalf of paying clients, to whitewash their public image.

“The company made eight pieces for the BBC about Malaysia while failing to declare it was paid £17 million (RM83 million) by the Malaysian government for ‘global strategic communications’. The programmes included positive coverage of Malaysia's controversial palm oil industry,” wrote The Independent.

According to the report, investigations into the scandal “uncovered 15 breaches of editorial guidelines” of which eight were related to FBC’s programmes on Malaysia.

The BBC apology adds:
 

"In the case of eight other programmes, all of which featured Malaysia, we found that the production company which made the programmes appeared to have a financial relationship with the Malaysian government.

“This meant there was a potential conflict of interest, though the BBC was not aware of it when the programmes were broadcast.”

Pricey glam job for gov't

The scandal was first uncovered by The Independent and reported by Sarawak Report, the whistleblower website founded by former BBC journalist Clare Rewcastle-Brown (below), the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

It claimed that FBC was paid millions of ringgit by BN politicians, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, to glam up their image overseas.

Last October Najib admitted in a written parliamentary reply that the government had paid RM83.8 million to media consultancy company FBC Media for the duration of three years from 2007 for  “consultancy services, advice and management of a communication campaign”.

The Independent 's report today added, “Since 2009 FBC has made at least four BBC documentaries dealing with Malaysia and controversial issues such as the country's palm-oil industry and its treatment of rainforests and indigenous people.

“The company has received millions of pounds in payments from the government of Malaysia...”

Also read...

Malaysia's Image Tarnished In BBC's Apology

 

BBC minta maaf siar program berbayar tentang Malaysia

BBC akan menyiarkan permohonan maaf ke seluruh dunia hari ini kerana telah mengkompromi integriti editorialnya melalui program-program yang terlibat dalam "skandal penetapan berita" baru-baru, demikian menurut laporan berita.

Hari ini akhbar Independent di UK melaporkan bahawa BBC World News akan menyiarkan permohonan maaf "dari Kuala Lumpur ke Khartoum" dalam empat slot masa.

Skandal itu melibatkan FBC Media (UK) yang telah didedahkan pada tahun lepas kerana telah menghasilkan program-program bagi pihak pelanggan berbayar, untuk membersihkan imej awam mereka.

 "Syarikat itu  telah menghasil lapan program untuk BBC mengenai Malaysia tetapi gagal mengisytiharkan bahawa ia telah dibayar £17m oleh kerajaan Malaysia untuk 'komunikasi strategik global'. Program-program tersebut termasuk liputan positif terhadap kontroversi industri minyak sawit Malaysia," lapor Independent.

Menurut laporan itu, siasatan terhadap skandal itu telah "membongkar 15 pelanggaran garispanduan editorial" yang mana lapan daripadanya adalah berkaitan dengan program FBC di Malaysia.

Permohonan maaf itu, menurut laporan itu lagi, akan berbunyi:

"Dalam kes lapan program lain, yang semua memaparkan tentang Malaysia, kami mendapati bahawa syarikat produksi tersebut yang menghasil program berkenaan, nampaknya mempunyai hubungan kewangan dengan kerajaan Malaysia.

"Ini bermakna terdapat potensi konflik kepentingan, walaupun BBC tidak menyedarinya apabila program disiarkan."

source:malaysiakini

Malu rakyat Malaysia saja, guna dana awam RM berjuta2 konon untuk promote imej dirinya, kini Ah Jib Gor nak buboh muka kat mana bila seantero dunia tahu gara2 penipuannya...

cheers.